Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

My guest today is Myla Jackson who writes for several publishers – Ellora’s Cave, Kensington Aphrodisia and Avon Red. She’s a very busy lady! Her most recent release is Thorn’s Kiss, which came out last week. Thorn’s Kiss is book two in the City of Wolves series.

Today Myla is talking about series and she’s giving away a download from her backlist to one lucky commenter. All you need to do is post a comment and you’re in the draw! And don’t forget to check back in the comments section the next day to see if you’re the winner.

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There’s a slight delay with the next post, so meantime I’m going to talk about Christmas carols. What is your very favorite Christmas carol, and which one could you go a million years without ever hearing again?

My very favorite Christmas carol is Snoopy’s Christmas, performed by the Royal Guardsman in 1967. It’s a fictional story about Snoopy who has to go out and fight the Red Baron on Christmas eve, although this really did happen in 1914.

During World War I, in 1914, an event known as “The Christmas Truce” took place between the Germans and the British, initiated not by the commanders, but by the soldiers themselves. The enemies exchanged small gifts such as beer (from the Germans to the British) and tobacco and tinned meat (from the British to the Germans). “No Man’s Land” was cleared of the dead bodies, the trenches were repaired and drained, and the troops from both sides shared pictures of their families with each other and, in some places, even using “No Man’s Land” to engage in friendly games of football (soccer in the U.S.).

The song was inspired by Snoopy the dog from the “Peanuts” cartoon strip.

The Christmas carol that makes me cringe the most is Stevie Nicks singing Silent Night. Apologies if you’re a fan but to me there’s nothing “silent” about this song at all. Thankfully, I’ve yet to hear it so far this year!

So, which song is your favorite? Which makes you cringe? Everyone who comments will go into the draw to win a download of the anthology From the Deep. Check back in the comments tomorrow to see if you’re the winner.

My guest today is Shelli Stevens. She writes in a variety of genres for Cobblestone Press and Samhain Publishing. Her upcoming release is called Dangerous Grounds. With the tagline, “Something’s hot in Seattle, and it’s not just the espresso.”, I know I’m looking forward to release day on 1 Jan 2008.

Today Shelli is talking about crushes. She’s also giving away a download from her backlist to one lucky commenter. As usual all you need to do to go into the draw is post a comment. (Don’t forget to check back the following day to see if you’re a winner.)

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My guest today is Lorelei James who writes hot and spicy contemporary stories for Samhain Publishing.

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My guest today is Christine d’Abo. Christine is a relatively new author with Ellora’s Cave and writes both futurisitic and paranormal titles. I particularly enjoyed her book, The Bond that Ties Us and luckily for me, she has another book from this series arriving in 2008. I can’t wait!

Christine is giving away one download of Chasing Phoenix to a lucky commenter. All you need to do to go into the draw is post a comment and check back on the 14 Dec when Christine will pick her winner.

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My guest today is Jenyfer Matthews who writes wonderful contemporaries for Cerridwen Press. Gemma Halliday, the author of Undercover in High Heels says “Fans of Jennifer Crusie will love Jenyfer Matthews’ fresh, fun voice. ONE CRAZY SUMMER is contemporary romance at its best.”

One lucky winner will win a download of One Crazy Summer. All you need to do to go into the draw is post a comment. (The winner’s name will be posted in the comments section the following day. Don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won.)

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Today’s guest blogger is Beth Williamson. I’ll admit I’m a new convert to Beth’s books having only discovered them this year, but I’ve turned into a big fan of the Malloy family series after a yearning to read some western historical books led me in her direction. And, I have her Devils on Horseback series to look forward to next, which I’m quietly excited about. Beth’s latest releases are Branded (in e-format) and Devils on Horseback: Nate (print format). Both books are available from Samhain Publishing, and of course you can buy Nate’s story from your favorite bookstore.

And for today’s prize – Everyone who posts a comment will go into the draw to win a download from Shelley’s New Concepts Publishing backlist. (The winner’s name will be announced in the comments section so don’t forget to go back and check to see if you’re a winner)

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Today’s guest is Jory Strong. Jory writes spicy romances for Ellora’s Cave in a variety of genres. She has several series including Crime Tells, Fallon Mates, The Angelini and Supernatural Bonds. Her next release is Two Spirits and this is Jory’s first gay romance. Two Spirits is due for release from Ellora’s Cave on 19 December 2007.

Jory is giving away the winner’s choice of a download from her backlist. As usual, all you need to do to go into the draw is make a comment on the post. (Check the comments section the following day for the winner announcement.)

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Today’s guest blogger is Creative Goddess Rhian Swain-Giboney. I met Rhian online and adore her. She has a wonderful blog where she keeps us all entertained with her poetry, her posts on mythology and glimpses into her life as an artist and a businesswoman. She’s one talented lady.

Today Rhian is talking about How to Feed Your Inner Creative Brat, something I think is really important in these busy times. When I talked to Rhian about doing a guest spot, I asked her if she’d like to give away one of my books as a prize. Immediately, she chose Scarlet Woman. So, everyone who comments on her post will go into a draw to win a download of the first book in my Middlemarch series. (Check back the following day to see if you’re the winner as the winner’s name will be announced in the comments section.)

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Today’s guest blogger is Lauren Dane. Lauren has the distinction of being one of my favorite authors and has recently signed a two-book contract with Berkley Heat. She writes both paranormal and contemporary stories and her upcoming book with Berkley is a futuristic.

Her next release is To Do List (coming from Samhain on 11 December 2007) and today she’s giving away a download of this book. All you need to do to go into the draw to win To Do List is post a comment. (Check the comments section tomorrow to see if you’ve won).

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